The Need To Step In Shit

Missing Key, Swimming In Thought, The Path

Note To Self: Sometimes stepping in shit is needed to discover you haven't yet grasped a lesson.

In the midst of rounding up my favourite pieces I’ve written in 2024, I thought about how easy it is to share the good bits and dismiss the parts we haven’t stayed true to.

So this is me shining a light on when I stepped in shit.

The following are three lessons I thought I learned, but reality told a different story.

The reason for sharing?

To highlight how completely human and normal it is to miss the mark and not live true to yourself 100% of the time. You can easily feel guilt or shame when you look online. Comparing yourself to others when only a glimpse of their world is revealed. And as you know, more often than not, it’s the parts they are proud to show.

Let’s put our foot in it and embrace the flaws.

Missing key:

Curiosity unlocks understanding, which opens the door to interconnectedness.

- The Illusion Of Separateness

Do I still experience that line to be true? Absolutely. Do I always apply it? No.

It is easy to be curious when in agreement and harmony on a topic, opinion, or belief. But, much harder when your surest convictions are challenged. The curiosity key often goes missing.

It went missing on me several times this year. The conversation dissolves and becomes a defending exercise. A pointless exercise in truth. Ego takes over. Friction arises from a temporary feeling of separateness, and shared connection goes out the window. The ironic part? Nobody wins.

Swimming in thought:

If the stories that occupy your mind restrict you from living free, know that the blank page is always there. You can turn a fresh page and start again.

- The Power Of A Blank Page

I’ve improved, but I’m not quite Ten Second Tom from 50 First Dates, who forgets all experience every 10 seconds and starts anew each time.

Knowing the blank page is always there and turning to it are two different matters. A state of equanimity can be achieved in an instant, but when you’ve been conditioned to identify closely with the mind, getting to that state can take an age, particularly when thoughts backed by strong emotions arise.

You can be deceived by your ability to deal with an experience that previously threw you sideways. Until some new undesirable scenario rears its head, and all of a sudden, you’re swimming against the tide of thought.

If you’re mind has been busy this year and you give yourself a hard time over not dealing with it better — allow some grace. Nobody handles every situation perfectly.

The path:

You must be ruthless in protecting what matters most to you.

- Why You Must Be Ruthless

Have I been ruthless? Absolutely not.

Always wrote when I said I’d write? No. Skipped workouts? Yep. Pissed about scrolling on my phone too much? 100%. Been as present as I can be? Nowhere close. Ideas and goals I didn’t follow through on? Plenty.

Did it feel good? No.

But, the times I have been steadfast in prioritising what matters most have shown me the pursuit is worth continuing. So, if you see yourself in this reflection, don’t throw the towel in. You’re on the path, and that’s what matters most.

Now that I’ve stepped in shit, my final post for the year, will recap a collection of my favourite pieces from 2024.

Before then, I welcome you to share your reflections on the marks you’ve missed this year — we’ve got a conversation going in the private subscriber chat.

Till next week.

Live Free,

Niall

If this post encourages you to embrace mistakes and flaws, please click on the heart at the bottom or the top of this email ❤️. It helps readers like you discover Live Free.

Shoutout to Maryanne for your patronage.

Check out Return Home. AOTTW #029

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LVN Stories

I’ll be back in 2025 with new stories, but for now, you can check out a recap of 2024 below.

The Power Of Shared Experience